Category Archives: Reports

Pit crew jumps in; Mars 2020 rover gets wheels

Posted on July 12, 2019 by rburnham

Constructing an exquisitely complex vehicle like the Mars 2020 rover takes serious teamwork. On June 13, 2019, more than a dozen “bunny suit”-clad engineers rolled past another milestone in the clean room of the Spacecraft Assembly Facility at NASA’s Jet … Continue reading →

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Latest weather at Gale Crater and Elysium Planitia

Posted on July 12, 2019 by rburnham

Daily Elysium charts and data (temperature, wind speed, atmospheric pressure) here.

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HiRISE: This far and no further!

Posted on July 12, 2019 by rburnham

This far and no further! The very top of this image shows the edge of ancient lava flow that went no further across the plain. It’s also a natural boundary in the reflectivity (albedo) of the surface. HiRISE Picture of … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Edge of the caldera on Ascraeus Mons

Posted on July 12, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, July 12, 2019. Today’s VIS image is located on the summit of Ascraeus Mons, one of the three large Tharsis region volcanoes. This image clips just the edge of the large summit caldera. Explore more … Continue reading →

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Curiosity update: A fountain of data

Posted on July 11, 2019 by rburnham

Sols 2463-64, July 11, 2019, update by MSL scientist Michelle Minitti: Curiosity continued work on and around the gorgeous outcrop pictured above that was started on Sol 2461. The layers of the outcrop – with their different colors, textures and … Continue reading →

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Layered-sulfates’ history in NE Syrtis Major

Posted on July 11, 2019 by rburnham

[Editor’s note: From a paper by Daven Quinn and Bethany Ehlmann recently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.] The Deposition and Alteration History of the Northeast Syrtis Major Layered Sulfates • The eroded stratigraphy at Northeast Syrtis Major includes … Continue reading →

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HiRISE: Terraced trough near Ceraunius Fossae

Posted on July 11, 2019 by rburnham

A terraced trough near Ceraunius Fossae. This may be a source region of flow material that enclosed the adjacent raised ridges and continues on to the north. High resolution can help to determine if the terraced forms are due to … Continue reading →

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Weathering on early Mars bad for forming carbonates

Posted on July 11, 2019 by rburnham

[Editor’s note: From a paper by Fabien Baron and three co-authors recently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.] New Constraints on Early Mars Weathering Conditions From an Experimental Approach on Crust Simulants • Chemical weathering in mildly acidic conditions … Continue reading →

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Curiosity update: What would we do without MAHLI?

Posted on July 11, 2019 by rburnham

Sols 2461-62, July 8, 2019, update by MSL scientist Roger Wiens: MAHLI was busy over the weekend. The data from Mars returned a trove of close-up images from the outcrop near the top of “Harlaw Rise,” including the one shown … Continue reading →

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THEMIS: Scamander Vallis’ winding course

Posted on July 11, 2019 by rburnham

THEMIS Image of the Day, July 11, 2019. Today’s VIS image shows a section of Scamander Vallis. Scamander Vallis is located in northern Terra Sabaea. Explore more THEMIS Images of the Day by geological subject.

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